Overview
The International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) is an annual contest founded in 2003 in which secondary school students solve puzzles about languages. Problems ask contestants to analyse the grammar, structure, culture and history of languages, often unfamiliar ones. No prior knowledge of linguistics is needed.
Who can take part
The contest is for students up to secondary school level.
A team has no more than four contestants and is accompanied by a team leader.
Students are usually selected through a national linguistics olympiad. Your country's contact is listed on the IOL website.
Contest format
| Contest | Format | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Individual contest | A set of five problems | Six hours |
| Team contest | Team members work jointly on one problem set and hand in one script | Three or four hours |
Editions
Bucharest 2026 has been completed, with 255 contestants from 65 teams representing 46 countries.
Bangkok 2027 is scheduled for 21 to 28 July 2027.
The IOL moves to a different host country each year, normally between late July and mid-August.
How to take part
Find out whether your country runs a national linguistics olympiad through the country directory on the IOL website, and enter its rounds.
Preparation tips
Practise solving puzzles from past IOL and national olympiad problem sets.
Learn to look for patterns in unfamiliar word forms, sentence structure and writing systems.
Practise teamwork for the team contest, where the group shares one problem set.